Publications -- Brief Analysis

Nov 19, 2009

BA #679 – Green Jobs: Hope or Hype?

In October, the unemployment rate in the United States reached 10.2 percent. Most economists consider about 5 percent to be full employment. Not surprisingly, job growth is a hot political issue.

Oct 01, 2009

BA #678 – Estate Tax Myths

Congress is facing a tax deadline. Under legislation passed in 2001, the federal estate tax is being phased out: The tax rate is falling and the value of the property of the deceased that is exempted from the tax is rising. The tax is scheduled to disappear in 2010, but it will return in 2011 at pre-2001 rates - up to 55 percent for estates valued in excess of $1 million. The Senate voted in April 2009 to reduce the rate of the revivified tax to 35 percent, but the House of Representatives has not acted.

Sep 23, 2009

BA #677 – Is the Mattress a Good Place for Money?

In fall 2008, the stock market suffered a severe decline. Fear prompted a number of individuals to suspend contributions to their 401(k) retirement accounts. They reasoned that holding the money and having it retain its face value was preferable to putting it in a money-losing investment. Even employees who were invested in bonds, rather than equities, stopped contributing. Some companies temporarily suspended their matching contributions.

Sep 11, 2009

BA #676 – Crisis of the Uninsured: 2009

One of the primary goals of health reform is to ensure that all Americans have health insurance. Yet it is generally overlooked that the proportion of Americans without health coverage has been relatively stable over time.  According to the Census Bureau, in 2008 the number of individuals in the United States lacking health coverage rose from 45.7 million to 46.3 million.  The proportion of uninsured Americans remained virtually unchanged, rising from 15.3 percent to 15.4 percent.

Sep 01, 2009

BA #675 – Alternative Certification Programs: Meeting the Demand for Effective Teachers

Growing public school enrollment, an increase in the number of teachers retiring or leaving the profession and legislated limits on class size have made finding competent educators a growing challenge. In recent years, all 50 states and the District of Columbia have established alternative certification programs to help meet this challenge. But have these programs been successful?

Aug 27, 2009

BA #674 – The High Cost of Cash for Clunkers

The $1 billion set aside for the Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS), or "Cash for Clunkers," ran out quickly this summer. CARS aims to encourage the purchase of more fuel-efficient vehicles by offering a $3,500 to $4,500 government-funded rebate to consumers who trade-in vehicles that get less than 18 miles per gallon (mpg) for new cars that get more than 22 mpg or new trucks that get at least 18 mpg.  Congress refueled the popular stimulus program with another $2 billion - enough to buy a total of approximately 750,000 trade-ins.

Aug 25, 2009

BA #673 – How Tort Reform Cut Florida Workers’ Compensation Costs

Could tort reform reduce health care costs?  Using the legal system to resolve patient injury claims is expensive and inefficient. The cost of litigation - principally attorneys' fees - raises claim costs, adding billions of dollars a year to premiums for workers' compensation and health insurance.

Aug 12, 2009

BA #672 – Improving Savings Incentives for the Poor

Americans have been saving less and less of their after-tax income for the past 15 years. The annual personal savings rate averaged 8 percent from 1929 to 2000, but reached a historical low of 0.4 percent in 2005. With the onset of the 2008-2009 recession, however, the savings rate rose again to more than 6 percent.

Aug 06, 2009

BA #671 – Soaking the Rich and Drenching Small Business

As soon as 2010, small businesses could face three simultaneous tax hikes that would raise their marginal tax rate as high as 66.9 percent. Democrats in Congress plan to raise taxes on top earners by allowing some of the Bush tax cuts to expire. Draft legislation in the House of Representatives to overhaul the health care system contains two additional proposals that aim to soak the rich. However, these tax hikes will drench small businesses.

Aug 04, 2009

BA #670 – The New Federal Tobacco Tax: Who Loses?

The recent expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP) was funded by an increase in federal excise taxes on tobacco products. Congress increased the federal tax on cigarettes by 61 cents per pack and raised the tax on other tobacco products, with the goal of equalizing the tax per pound of tobacco.

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